ATHENS

Germany on Thursday condemned the Israeli illegal settlers’ deadly attack on a Palestinian village in the West Bank.

“We condemn yesterday's attack by a group of Israeli settlers on the Palestinian village of Kafr Malik in the West Bank, in which more than 100 violent settlers attacked Palestinian residents of the village, setting fire to houses and cars,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Citing the Wednesday attack that killed three Palestinians and injured seven others, the German Foreign Ministry urged Tel Aviv to conduct an immediate investigation and hold those responsible accountable.

“The events in Kafr Malik demonstrate once again that Israel, as an occupying power, must do far more to protect the Palestinian population in the West Bank from attacks and prevent such incidents in the future,” it added.

The ministry reiterated that the settlements violate international law and constitute an obstacle to a two-state solution.

Since the start of Israel’s assault on Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, at least 977 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,000 injured in the West Bank by Israeli forces and illegal settlers, the Health Ministry said.

In a landmark opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.